I recently had the opportunity to interview for a Software Development Engineer (SWE-2) position at Microsoft. The journey through the interview process was both challenging and enlightening, providing a wealth of insights. Here’s a detailed account of each stage of the process:

Round 1: Online Assessment

The process began with an online assessment focused on Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA). This initial phase featured two medium-level questions: one focused on manipulating Strings and the other on solving a problem involving a Binary Tree. These questions tested my ability to efficiently handle data structures and apply algorithmic concepts effectively. The timed nature of the assessment added an extra layer of difficulty, requiring a balance of speed and precision.

Round 2: Technical Interview (45 mins)

After clearing the online assessment, I moved on to the first technical interview. This 45-minute session revolved around a problem involving a Linked List. The challenge required reversing the linked list in groups of a given size using an iterative approach. This round was particularly demanding, as it assessed my problem-solving skills and ability to write clean and efficient code under time constraints.

Round 3: Low-Level Design (LLD)

The third round was a Low-Level Design interview, focusing on system design principles. I was tasked with designing an in-memory key-value store similar to a simplified version of Redis. The goal was to ensure efficient data storage and retrieval with support for basic operations like GET, SET, and DELETE. This round lasted about 50 minutes and required careful planning and articulation of design decisions, demonstrating a strong grasp of system architecture and design patterns.

Round 4: High-Level Design (HLD)

The next phase was another System Design round, but this time at a higher level. The challenge involved designing an online food delivery system. This comprehensive round required considering factors like scalability, fault tolerance, and real-time order tracking. Multiple follow-up questions delved deeper into my design choices, such as handling peak loads, database sharding, and ensuring data consistency across services. This round tested my ability to think broadly and integrate various components into a cohesive system.

Round 5: Hiring Manager Interview

After successfully navigating the previous rounds, I reached the final interview with the Hiring Manager. This round began with a 10-minute discussion about my past projects, allowing me to showcase my experiences and the impact of my work. Following this discussion, I was given a code review task, which involved identifying and fixing bugs in a provided code snippet of about 200 lines. This task tested my attention to detail and ability to understand and improve existing codebases under time constraints.

Conclusion

Securing a role at a top product-based company like Microsoft is a significant achievement. It requires dedication, hard work, and a deep understanding of technical skills and system design principles. For anyone aspiring to join such companies, thorough preparation is essential. Resources like Bosscoder Academy can provide valuable guidance and training to help candidates succeed.

This experience was a pivotal one, preparing me better for future opportunities. If you’re on a similar path, keep pushing forward—every challenge is a step toward your goal.